


Dance The Night Away

by AerithFaremis



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:22:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25059919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AerithFaremis/pseuds/AerithFaremis
Summary: Cloud and Aerith enjoy a different date at Gold Saucer.“So, Cloud. Do you remember those amazing dance moves of you?"
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	Dance The Night Away

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to another Clerith fic of mine! I really hope you enjoy it!! Feel free to leave a comment if you want, and I will happily read it! :)
> 
> PS: English is not my mother tongue, so I'm sorry for the possible mistakes!  
> PS2: Thank you so much for reading my stories! I really appreciate it! ^^

Aerith and Tifa were walking around Gold Saucer, a large and colorful amusement park in the middle of the desert sands. That place was marvelous: it had lots of games as chocobo rides, rollercoasters, bumper cars, ferris wheel… both girls were glancing at everything with their mouths opened, gasping every time a firework was launched.

“This is amazing!” said Aerith, with an increased pitch in her voice. She looked at Tifa, whose eyes were wide opened, not feeling sure if she was dreaming or indeed that wonderful park was real. Tifa had already heard amazing stories about Gold Saucer and all its highlights, but to hear about it was very different that to see it for herself. She did not want to leave that place ever!

“I really like it!” the ruby – eyed girl agreed “I wish the others had come too instead of resting in the hotel like old people.”

Aerith shook with laughter. She wanted the others to be there too, but to be honest, the journey to Gold Saucer had been quite long, full of monsters. In addition, the sun and heat did not make it a light ride, so the flower girl understood that their friends wanted to rest a little.

“Don’t worry!” she said, leaning forward and smiling “I’m sure they will later be in the mood! Hey, let’s go and watch the chocobo races, shall we?”

They headed for the chocobos’ racing stadium and even bet on the winner, a black feathered elegant chocobo. They enjoyed the race with much enthusiasm, although none of them won the prize of the bet.

“It was so much fun” Tifa sighed, stretching her arms behind her head and closing her eyes “I wish someday to ride a chocobo!”

“Me too! There were some of them at Midgar, but only for the transport service. But, who knows? Maybe one day we can come back here and enter the race!” Aerith said, rubbing her hands together while her eyes were shining.

Tifa smiled and started to walk forward, not noticing that her friend was not following her. Instead, a pamphlet had attracted the attention of the flower girl, who was reading it with a frown and a thin finger resting on her chin.

_DANCE CONTEST!_

_Join us in a fun and enjoyable experience!_

_Show us your best moves and win our fantastic prize:_

_50,000 gils are waiting for you and your couple!_

Aerith grinned, a glint of mischief showing up in her emerald eyes. She knew about someone who could be the perfect couple for her in a dance contest.

“Aerith?” called Tifa, waiting for her some steps forward.

“Yes, coming!” said Aerith, cheerfully.

* * *

Cloud stood in front of the hotel’s window, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He felt somewhat exhausted after the long journey they had been through, and he was savoring that unusual moment of peace alone. He crossed his arms and wondered if it was not the time already to go to bed. He could hear the giggles, cheers and joyful screams of the people having fun at the amusement park and smiled softly. He would have liked to go out for a walk and find out what was so special about Gold Saucer, but that growing ache on his shoulder blade was pleading him to rest.

He turned around and dragged his legs towards the bed, but before falling into it, he heard a soft knock on the door. He instantly frowned and gripped the hilt of his sword, not having enough confidence in that place.

He come closer to the wooden door and stood behind it, trying to listen carefully, but he could not hear a noise.

“Who is it?” he asked.

“Aerith!” he heard, a quietly voice coming from the other side. He dropped the hilt of his sword and relaxed instantaneously, opening the door. “Heya!” she greeted, leaning forward and staring into his eyes with a tender smile.

He stepped aside, allowing her to enter into his room and closed the door behind them.

“Hey, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?” he asked, not able to hide his curiosity. Cloud had always tried to sound cool when Aerith was around, but because she had the power to beat down his walls and find out what was happening in his mind, he had been softer than cooler around her lately.

“Taking you out for a date!” she answered, her hands clasped behind her back as she tilted her head to the left. She winked.

“A date?” he repeated, narrowing his eyes.

“Of course! What, you don’t remember? What about _your_ payment, huh?”

“Oh, _my payment_ …” he said, as Aerith giggled. “Well, I…”

“But, maybe you were about to sleep or something” she pointed out, noticing the wrinkled sheets of his bed, as if he had been about to fall in the bed before she came. “We can save it for another day, if you want…” she looked down at her toes, a fake pout on her face.

“Of course not! I mean…” he exclaimed, but he stopped when he felt that his words had come out from his mouth very effusively. “I mean, I…want to go to that date with you” he said, trying to ignore his flushed cheeks.

“Really, you want!? Great!” she said, with whoops of happiness. “I actually have a wonderful plan for us tonight” Aerith waggled her eyebrows up and down, which sent a shiver up on Cloud’s spine. He looked at her, tightening his lips.

“Why don’t I like the sound of this?” he asked, but she was already hanging on his arm and dragging him out of the room.

“Come on! You’ll see! I’m sure this is going to be _so great!_ ”

They walked down the stairs and went out the hotel. In that very moment, Cloud felt the happy atmosphere prevailing in Gold Saucer. It was late in the night, but it was still crowded. There were families with their children at the bumper cars, teenagers giggling and talking loudly and some couples walking hand in hand, looking lovingly at each other. He looked down and gasped when he noticed the delicate hand of Aerith entwined with his, but he was not uncomfortable at all, instead, he was relishing that warm link between them.

“So, Cloud. Do you remember those amazing dance moves of you? Those you shown us at the Honeybee Inn” she let out in a casual tone of voice.

“Yeah, I do, but I prefer to forget about it. _Forever_.” He looked away, as flashes of that moment came to his mind. He had danced in front of a cheering crowd and in front of a cheering Aerith, and although he felt like he was dying inside in embarrassment, he had certainly…enjoyed the way his body moved, harmoniously.

“Hm, you won’t have time to forget them, you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“Here!” she said. She was pointing out a small pub behind her, adorned with neon flashing lights. The music coming from there was loud and catchy and by looking through the windows Cloud could see some couples dancing while others were just drinking and reveling in the show.

“Did you bring me to a dance club?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“Not only a dance club” she giggled “but a dance contest! See, it is in pairs and I thought _you_ and _I_ …”

“What? No way I’m going to join a dance contest, Aerith” he snorted, looking away.

“Come on!” she insisted, taking his hand and trying to drag him inside, but he stood still on his spot. “Cloud, don’t be silly, it will be fun, I promise!”

“There are lots of things we can do here instead, Aerith”.

“The thing is …I had…I had already registered the two of us!” she stammered, shifting her weight from one feet to another. “I really thought it would be a great way to spend time with you…”

Aerith had that kind of magic that made Cloud impossible to refuse any of her ideas or desires. He just wanted to see her smile all the time like a flower, brightly and widely, and he did not want to be seen as a killjoy that night, let alone in _their_ first date. He had not been on many dates, but he knew that it should be special and beautiful, and he wanted to make an effort to make it so.

“Okay…I’ll do it.” he said, smiling softly.

“Great! Come on, let’s get inside!” she said, humming a tune as she opened the door. Cloud stifled a laugh and followed her.

When they went inside, a man wearing a black suit with a rose on his chest approached them.

“Welcome. May I have your names, please?” he asked.

“Aerith and Cloud” she said, rubbing her hands together in excitement.

“Oh, so you are two of our contestants, right? My name is Dario. Over here, please. You have to dress for the occasion.” The man raised a hand, signaling them two rooms behind him, one for Aerith and the other for Cloud “There you will find our lovely makeup artists and dressmakers, who will help you with your outfit. The contest will begin soon. Good luck!”

Dario followed them with his eyes as the two of them went to the changing rooms. He raised his eyebrows and gasped: he had seen lots of couples before them, but it had been a long time since he had felt such chemistry flowing between two bodies. He was sure they were going to be the greatest couple on the dance floor.

Aerith was having fun inside the changing room. The makeup artists were nice people and they were asking her a lot of questions:

“And how is your boyfriend? Does he like dancing?”

“Oh, yeah, he is a great dancer” said Aerith, with sincerity. She still had a good memory of that toned body of his moving sensually. “I actually don’t know if I can say so about myself.”

“My husband was horrible at dancing, but I taught him” said one of the makeup artists, smiling fondly “Just remember something: dance is a harmony, the union of two bodies that seek each other to the rhythm of the music. For it to work out, there must be feeling, so if he cares about you, he will never let you fall.”

* * *

After a while, Aerith was ready. She went out to the corridor and met Cloud, but she sheepishly let her mouth fall open when she saw him.

He was looking _incredibly_ attractive with that black shirt with two buttons opened and those black trousers, and his hair…it looked different, sleeker than before. Cloud was also astonished: Aerith did not need to wear a lot of make – up to look _beautiful_. Her lips were glossy and she had on just a bit of mascara, and her long wavy chestnut hair was loose and silky. She was wearing a bandage white dress which fit perfectly her body curves.

“Wow, Cloud, you look really handsome!” she complimented him, with a smile.

“And you look beautiful” he said. He wanted to slap his face, feeling the embarrassment rising on his belly, but when she smiled tenderly at his words, he felt reassured.

“Ready?” she asked. Suddenly, he remembered the real reason why they were there.

Dario approached them and looked at them with his hands on his hips, his eyes wide opened.

“Wow, you two are a good – looking couple! Come on, the contest is about to start and the other couples are already waiting for you!”

He led them to the dance floor, where two more couples were already waiting. One of them was an elderly couple in their seventies and they seemed very friendly, but the other was a couple in their early thirties, looking arrogantly at them. He was saying that they were professional dancers and this was an easy task for both of them.

Cloud resisted the urge of rolling his eyes at the arrogant couple. Aerith squeezed his hand.

“Feeling nervous?” she asked, leaning forward to make eye contact with him.

“Not really” he said, with honesty. “You?”

“Well…I am. You know, I have never danced before, at least, not in front of people. Don’t know if I will do it nicely.” she explained, biting her lip.

“Don’t worry. I’ll try and guide you.” he said.

He did not notice, but she wheezed a bit, remembering the words the make-up artist had told her before:

 _“If he cares about you, he will never let you fall”_.

She felt her heart throbbing happily.

“I know” she said, staring into his blue Mako eyes. “Do you think we will win?”

“That’s one thing I’m definitely sure of” he stated, with a cocky voice.

Aerith wanted to say something more, but she was interrupted by a high – pitched voice coming from the middle of the dance floor.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another enchanting night at Gold Saucer’s dance club!” a beautiful, black haired hostess was speaking with a microphone “I’m Claire, and tonight, we are holding a very special dance contest, with wonderful participants! We have three couples tonight and one challenge: _Tango Romance!_ ” the crowd cheered “Let me introduce you our charming couples: Dany and John, two professional dancers!”

The arrogant couple stepped forward with flourishes and bowed in front of the crowd. Cloud snorted.

“Sarah and Abel, an adorable elderly couple!” they clasped their hand together and moved forward, smiling. “And Cloud and Aerith, a very hot looking couple!”

Aerith and Cloud walked together and while Aerith was waving her hand with sympathy, he was dying inside. It was too late to run away now. He glanced over his shoulder to Aerith and noticed how joyful she was in spite of her nervousness. She _really_ wanted to do it and she _really_ wanted to spend that time with him. Cloud nodded and decided to give his best.

“So” Claire continued her speech “our lovely contestants will have to dance the same song and it will be the spectators, with their applause, who decides which couple wins the competition. Open your eyes wide and let the show begin!”

Everybody cheered, encouraging the couples. The first ones were Dany and John. When the first vibrant Tango music notes sounded, Dany twisted her body in a savage way, feeling the song on her body and her skin. John did not want to be left behind, and he wiggled his hips. He put one hand elegantly around his partner’s waist and they began to rub their legs vigorously.

Aerith was gazing at them, stunned at the way their bodies were in perfect synchronization, and she wondered how able she was to do such thing on the dance floor.

“They are good” Sarah said, looking at both Cloud and Aerith “But I don’t really think they can beat us. And neither can you”.

The old woman had her chin up, an arched eyebrow and a sided smiled which made her look very different from that adorable woman who had bowed her head on the dance floor just some minutes ago.

“Excuse you?” said Aerith, with a frown. “You are in front of Cloud Strife, great ex-SOLDIER, best dancer. Pretty cool, huh?

“Have never heard about Cloud Strife before” Abel intervened “You think that because you are young you already move better than a couple of old people, but I assure you that, even at my age, I can lift _this weakling boy_ with a single finger”

Cloud had already listened enough and, reaching out a hand in front of Aerith, gesturing for her to hold it, said:

“Aerith, get ready. Let’s show these people _who_ rules the dance floor.”

“Yeah!” she said, holding his hand tightly, although she was trembling inside. She for sure knew that Cloud could rule the dance floor whenever he wanted, but she could not say the same about her.

Dany and John had already finished their performance when Cloud and Aerith stepped into the dance floor. He looked at her and nodded reassuringly, and she tried to do the same, but her heart was throbbing with too much excitement.

“And now, it’s the time for our hot, lovely and, why not? _Badass_ couple to hit the floor! Everybody, Cloud and Aerith!” Claire introduced them and the music played.

Quickly, Cloud slipped a hand around Aerith’s waist and she felt a shiver down her spine at the contact. They started to slide gracefully back and forward, feeling the pure and solemn sound of the violin chords. Cloud took her hand and made her turn on her feet smoothly. Their moves were subtle but sensuous, and she felt more confident as the song progressed. She unexpectedly saw how her hands were caressing Cloud’s neck and how his hands were stroking her hips and tightening the grip around them. Then, they circled each other, their eyes locked, and Cloud caressed her wrist softly and pulled her into his chest, their foreheads touching slightly.

She did not want that dance to end, but just as she was feeling that hypnotic sensation rising from her thighs to her stomach, the song ended.

Aerith and Cloud were still staring into each other’s eyes, panting. His lips where parted and her eyes were traveling from his blue orbs to his thick and inviting mouth.

“Wow, it’s hot in here, don’t you think?” Claire said, smiling, while the spectators were clapping. They were forced to return from the world of their own that they had created among their bodies and returned to the backstage.

They noticed how Sarah and Abel were already warming their bodies up. The blond guy smiled mockingly at them, specifically at Abel, who let out a “hmph!” and stepped into the dancefloor with Sarah.

“It was amazing, Cloud, go team!” Aerith said. Cloud smiled tenderly when he saw her flushed cheeks and her tousled hair.

“Yeah! Hey, you dance very well, really.” he was being sincere. Dancing with Aerith had been like fitting the correct pieces of a puzzle together, and he had almost forgotten that there were people watching them.

“I’m not as good as you” she said, leaning forward with a hand on her heart “and, also…”

A loud cheer attracted their attention and they saw how Abel lifted Sarah up to the ceiling as they were turning on their feet, graceful and solemn.

“I cannot believe my eyes with this adorable couple!” Claire said.

“ _Adorable_ ” Cloud repeated, wryly.

* * *

“Now it is the time for you to choose your winners! Couples, step forward!” Claire called them, and the three couples walked into the dance floor, feeling anxious. “Is it John and Dany?”

The audience applauded slightly, as there was something in the duo that did not convince them. Perhaps it was the arrogance they gave off or their movements so perfect, unnatural.

“Is it Sarah and Abel?”

This time, the cheer was more energetic, as they found it adorable that an elderly couple could move with such elegance.

“Or is it Cloud and Aerith?”

The applause overwhelmed them, as they did not expect such affection and admiration coming from the spectators, but there was an electrifying chemistry and a special bond between them impossible to deny, which made their dance an intimate moment.

“Well, I think it’s clear now! The winners…and the champions are… Cloud and Aerith!” Claire screamed, happy. Confetti fell from the ceiling as the audience screamed with joy. They were surprised but content, because they had actually had a wonderful moment hitting the floor together.

“We did it!” Aerith exclaimed, high fiving with him, a type of secret communication they only had between them, but this time, Cloud also squeezed her hand gently, his eyes softening with a glow different from other times. She smiled, somewhat shy under the tenderness of Cloud’s gaze.

* * *

They received the award and left the pub amid cheers and compliments from the audience. Although Sarah and Abel left without saying a word to them, John and Dany, who at first seemed arrogant, approached them with sympathy:

“You have an amazing chemistry! I wish I could see you dance more, you can tell how much you love each other just by watching you dance” Dany said.

Cloud felt his heart skip a beat and bit his lip, his hands shaking. He found himself not denying Dany’s words and neither did Aerith.

“You two are wonderful dancers, too” complimented Aerith “I really loved the way you moved”.

Dany and John left them alone and they began to walk through Gold Saucer, feeling the fresh breeze cooling their faces. Aerith hooked her arm around his, giggling:

“It was fun, wasn’t it?” she asked.

“Well, I have to admit I felt more comfortable than I expected” Cloud said, a soft smile on his lips.

“Yeah, me too! It was so…how would you say it? So…amazing!” she let out his arm “When we moved like this…and like this…and this…” she mimicked the movements they had performed before, spinning amusingly, as Cloud watched her, not able to move his eyes off her. He realized that he was smiling with deep affection, and everything around Aerith – the roller coasters, the ferris wheel, the people - looked blurred and even seemed insignificant to him.

She suddenly stopped, with her back to him.

“Already tired of your fancy moves?” Cloud mocked and Aerith giggled.

“ _So_ petty. Hey, Cloud, catch me, okay?” she said, letting herself falling backwards, slowly, as her bodyguard slid her hands over her waist, holding her. She rested her head on his chest, not facing him yet, and he rested his over the top of her head, closing his eyes. They were comfortable in each other arms.

“You are so different from everyone else, Cloud…” she mumbled.

“Really and…why do you think so? Is it wrong?” he asked, his voice soft, close to her ears.

“It isn’t. Actually, is _beautiful_ to be different” she explained “Some of your gestures reminded me of someone...but I said to myself, why not see beyond what the eyes can see? And that’s what _I_ want to do. Because…because I’ve started to see those things in you that are wonderful and that’s what makes you _you_. Cloud…I want…I want to meet you”.

She turned around and locked her eyes with his. He seemed overwhelmed by her words. No one had ever told him that he had wonderful things inside his heart, that he was different in a good way. He wanted Aerith to meet him, but he also wanted to meet Aerith, find out about her secrets, her thoughts, what her smiles hidden.

“I want to meet you too” he murmured, slowly leaning forward. He stroked her cheek carefully and she slipped her thumb on his lips. He took her from her chin gently and raised her face slightly, pressing his lips on her lips as if it were a caress.

The fireworks lit up the entire Gold Saucer, but this time, their mouths kept dancing uninterruptedly.

**Author's Note:**

> https://twitter.com/FaremisAerith
> 
> Posting my fics in a Twitter account I’ve made :)


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